Unusual Industries You’ve Never Heard Of Before…

There are a lot of professions out there – and I mean a lot. So it’s understandable that we can’t know every single job that exists in the world. There are the common jobs like lawyers, doctors and builders, and there are the less common industries like adult services and the art industry. When it comes to our careers, how many of us have known what we wanted to be since childhood? How do you find out about these unusual industries if no one else has heard of them either? We’ve found a collection of unusual industries that you’ve probably never heard of before. You might see a large scale building being constructed, but not realise that a Concrete Batching Plant is responsible for it. Or better yet, when golf balls magically get returned from the lakes of golfing greens. Bet you didn’t realise golf ball diver was a legitimate profession, did you? We’re unpacking some of the more unusual industries you can either pursue as a career, or simply appreciate their obscurity and intrigue.

Top 5 unusual industries

Professional waterslide tester

Ever seen those magic waterslides at theme parks and resorts, and wondered who gets to ride down them first? These guys do. When a slide is built, people are employed to test out the height, speed, water quantity and landing as well as all safety aspects of their rides. Companies like First Choice in Britain employ testers to evaluate the waterslides for their purposes. Considering that the waterslide is what most resorts are oriented around, you can see why unusual industries like this one are important. I just wish it was my job!

Pet food taster

Because animals can’t talk and tell us what they think. It’s true, some very adventurous eaters actually taste test pet food for dogs, cats and more, commenting on the texture, the flavour, and whether or not it would appeal to pets. But they only go so far: Simon Allison, a senior food technologist for Marks & Spencer, admits to spitting out the pet food after tasting it and keeping a glass of water on hand to rinse with. You’d want to hope you get paid well for unusual industries like this one.

Concrete maker

Funnily enough, concrete isn’t just something that magically appears when something needs to be constructed – people actually make the stuff. Using concrete pumping and injection equipment, they provide solutions to all mixing and batching needs, ranging from design, construction and installation. So next time you notice asphalt or concrete around, you can bet people like the employees of Batchcrete are behind it.

IMAX screen cleaner

Ever wonder how giant things like skyscraper windows or IMAX screens stay looking so pristine? Well, it’s someone’s job to clean them, that’s why! The larger-than-life images on IMAX screens wouldn’t be quite as powerful if they were covered in a layer of dirt and dust, but there are actually companies dedicated to keeping your viewing experience crystal clear. According to Michael Quaranto, cofounder of IMAX screen cleaning company 1570 Cinema Services, the biggest challenge to keeping the screens clean is making sure they are dust-free, as cleaners often need to empty their vacuum cleaners 2-3 times per screen clean. Of all the unusual industries, this one would be the most unheard of.

Professional sleeper

If you enjoy hitting that snooze button, you might consider hitting it again and getting paid for it! Beds need to be tested, and believe it or not, there are people out there whose job it is to do just that. There are also researchers and scientists out there who want to study sleepers in order to determine what causes sleep disorders. If you had to choose a career out of all the unusual industries, you’d definitely want to pick this one.

Unusual industries have that name for a reason – few people have ever heard of them, you can’t believe people get paid to do the work, and you find yourself wishing it was your career to follow. But despite the intrigue of these unusual industries, they are honest work just like everyone else. But instead they’re testing furniture or cleaning shark tanks for a living.